Rotary disk hopper feed for cylindrical articles



Oct; 16, 1951 MFD. HOPKINS ETAL 2,571,576

ROTARY DISK HOPPER FEED FOR CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES Filed Aug. 3, 1948 I Q 2 SHEETS-SHEET l .bhrwon,

Oct. 15, 1951 H K ETAL 2,571,576

ROTARY DISK HOPPER FEED FOR CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES Filed Aug. 3, 1948 jnvenrs I ,Narzlon fl Q r 5 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 e foknsan,

of the handles, a few of these being indicated somewhat diagrammatically at the bottom of the hopper, as at [3. An individual handle is here given the numeral M. The hopper H at its forward end has a trough-like portion l5 which has a concavo-convex lower wall l6 that is secured as by welding to a vertical hopper end wall or platen I1, the latter in turn being suitably secured to a pedestal l8. The pedestal is shown broken away at its lower end to conserve space but it will be understood that it may be suitable for supporting the apparatus on a factory floor or the like adjacent to a wire forming and bail assembly apparatus (not shown).

Between the rear portion of hopper H and its trough-like portion IS, in accordance with this present invention, there is shown a partition wall l9 to hold the mass of handles M in the hopper away from the trough-like portion I5 thereof but to permit lower ones of the handles, as at l3, to slide down the incline |2 by gravity into the lower part of the trough-like portion I5 of the hopper, the partition |9,being discontinued at its lower end to provide the opening 20 thereunder for this purpose.

Revolving in the trough-like portion |5 of the hopper is a rotor indicated generally by the numeral 2|, of somewhat barrel shape, having a cylindrical wall 22 which has a close but rotating fit in the concavo-convex wall l6 of the hopper trough I5. The rotor cylindrical wall 22 is secured to the rotor disc 23 which has a central opening 23a spanned by a plurality, as here three, integral rotor spokes 23b. The rotor spokes 23b are secured to a rotor hub 24 that rotates on an axle 25 that is journaled in a bearing 26 carried on a bracket 21 at the upper end of the pedestal l8, so that the rotor 2| may rotate freely in the trough I5, in this instance in the direction of the arrow A.

At any rotative position of the rotor, handles |4 dropping by gravity down the inclined floor as at l3 may fall through the opening 20 under the partition l9 and into the barrel-like interior of the rotor as at 28, the end of the rotor adjacent the partition l9 being open for this purpose, while the opposite end of the rotor is partially closed, 1. e., near the periphery of the rotor, by the disc 23 which turns with the rotor. As the rotor rotates, handles M will roll by gravity as at 28 in the lower sector of the rotor in the vicinity of the hopper concavo-convex wall l6. Each of the rotor spokes 23b carries a pick-up blade or arm 29 on the advance edge of the spoke, each blade having an angular portion 29a which extends across the juncture between two adjacent spokes and for a portion of the distance from the axis of said adjacent spoke on the trailing side of the latter. The blades 29 are advantageously inclined transversely toward the central opening 23a in the rotor disc so that as the rotor revolves in the direction of the arrow A, handles M are picked up from the mass 28 thereof and are carried upwardly on the blade through a sector of the apparatus constituting the lower right-hand sector looking at the apparatus in the direction of Fig. 2, or the lower lefthand sector looking in thedirection of ig. 3. When a blade 29 with a handle or handles l4 thereon reaches the upper limits of this quarter sector, or, in other words to a horizontal position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the handle on the blade slides ofi the blade and falls through the central opening 23a in the rotor disc into a space 30 (Fig. 7) between'the disc 23 and the platen H, which space provides pocket means for arranging the handles with their axes in a common plane, since this space is just slightly wider than the diameter of the handle. While the handles are thus disposed with their axes in a common plane, their axes may extend in many different directions in thiscommon plane. The angular extension'29a ofTthe blade'insures that if a handle is slow in falling off the blade while the blade continues to move upwardly and tends to fall toward the axis of the rotor it will still be diverted through the opening 23a into the space 30 by the blade extension 29a.

Further in accordance with the present invention, carried on the face of the disc 23, to rotate therewith, between the disc and the platen H and forming an annulus about the space 30 is a pocket carrying ring 3| which is of internally serrated formation having on its inner periphery (which is otherwise continuously annular) an annular series of uniformly spaced apart divider blocks 32 circumferentially spaced apart at their ends adjacentthe periphery of the ring 3| a distance just slightly greater than a handle diameter and thus forming a series of individual pockets 33 for the handles in the plane of the space 30, in which the handles are received from the common space 30 by the action of gravity, these individual pockets being disposed so that the handles are received therein with the axes of the handles extending radially of the rotor. Movement of the handles centrifugally is limited by the continuously annular character of the ring 3| across the pockets 33 at'their ends farthest from the rotoraxis. Each divider block 32 is pointed or peaked centrally. as at 34 so as to provide a pair of inclined surfaces 35 adjacent each pocket 33 constituting a flared mouth for each pocket facing in the direction of the space 30 soas to facilitate entry of a handle from among the handles in the space 30 into a pocket 33. The peaks 3| further'serve as fulcrums about which the handles are tilted under the influence'of gravity and centrifugal force to cause successive handles to be rotated on a transverse axis to direct them into a position radial of the rotor, if they are not already in such position, to facilitate entry of a handle head on into an individual pocket.

As best seen in Figs. 1 and 5, the individual pockets 33 for the handles II have a laterally extending lip 36 on their trailing edge which extends into close but sliding juxtaposition adjacent the platen l1. Since the ring 3| is continuous not only about its periphery but also on its face adjacent the rotor disc 23, the pockets 33 are closed not only at their ends farthest from the rotor axis, as at 38, but also laterally at their sides adjacent the rotor disc 23 as at39. I This construction permits the ring. 3| to be cast, for example, in one piece. So constructed, the pockets 33 are always open only at their ends nearest the rotor axis adjacent the flaring mouth provided for each pocket by the inclined surfaces 35 of the divider blocks 32 As best seen in Figure l, the perimeter 31 of the ring 3| extends more closely into sliding juxtaposition with the platen l1 than the body of the ring to further insure closure of the pockets 33 at their ends farthest from the axis. U

At their sides opposite the rotor disc 23, the pockets 33 are normally closed throughout the greater circumference of the ring 3|, and particularly throughout more than half of its lower arc of movement, by thev platen l! which it will be understood is stationary, the ring 3 I, which is fixed to the rotor 2 I, rotating in face to face matte and a pocket comes into a position which it ishorizontal as 'at 4|, the pocket in this position is now open laterally through the "slot in the platen; To facilitate this the pockets their trailing edges are cut away as at so as to slope downwardly {thereat and this slope continued into the 'lip 85 to provide arolling incl ine for the cylindrical handlewliich incline is farthfer continued in the platen l 1 by -s'loping the lower-edge of the slot 45 downwardly towa rd-the outer face of the platen asat 43 so -'thait'ah ndl'e in a pocket at this position in the cycle of rotati-on, that is when it comes opposite the slot 40, will roll out of the pocket through the slet in;the platen in the direction of the arrow B,

f'Should-it happen that there is a Handle-i-'n the slot 40 not yet passed theretlirough at a time whenanother handle comes successively-intoi'egister with the slot 40 to normally roll therethrough (such a contingency, however, being i'i'nlikely as later pointed out) the upper edge of "the slot 40 iar-med in a movable plate 44 which is held y'ie'ldingl y position by spring pressed studs '45 carried by the platen, so that this ie-re will yield and "permit ahandle which has not yet passed through the 810i? 0 move upwardly and laterally tutward ly of the slot under-the influence of ahandle in-a-pock'et 14 passing thereby, to per-n iit the two handlestepass by each other and prevent jamming of the apparatus.

Somewhat similarly, should a :handle in 'a peeketbs ooming to the position 41 opposite 317118 slot 40 be incompletely entered into the pocket foreiiample as at '46, Rlg$. 3, 4 and 5, means are provided for insuring that such an incompletely pocketed handle shall not "fall outth'rough slot 41) in such a way that it might falLZfor fexample,

head on instead of laterally. {Such means-are here shown as an arcuateigrip strip 41*whi'ch 'is carried by the platen HZto "register 'iWilZhFaIL'aIO concentric with but just slightly nearer theax-is end as at '50. This cover strip covers the iarziuate.

cut-out 51 in the platen occupied by '-the ignip strip 4"! and m which the -latter"has plaiy 'as permitted by the studs 48, the heads of which are on'the'ou ter side "of the coverstrip 4'9. Eliegrip strip'fli is normallyurged toward the missi es compression coil springs "52 -on--the-studs 4 8 and the grip-strip is shown tapered in cross-section to be thicker-at its upper end than alt-its -lower=end, thus having in the nature of a cam surface-5'3 on its 'face adjacent-the pockets 33. 'so constructed "and arranged, a handle as at XFi'g} which is not 'completely'entred into a poclret will ride onto the surface 53 of the gripstrip and in the' upward ino've'ni-entof the "rotor at-tliis timfwill (Fig. '5) "slide alon'g thisfs'urface *5; pressing the grip "strip progressively by rea ent: the taper r the 'l'altter'and thus "causingtlffefifip strip to hold the handle I 4 "that incompletely o'clreted-iintilsuh handl-eiias passed by the dis another chance to drop intoan individual pocket '-33 "and this next time be correctly pocketed so as te be free of the influence of the grip strip 4 and to fall-out properly through the discharge opening 40 fupdn coming into register therewith.

It'will be understood that handles which are even less fcomplet'elyentered into a pocket 33 than'the handle just described, will simply drop back l ikewise into the space :35 to have another chance to enter apocket, it being unnecessary that ev'ery 7 pocket he filled with a handle.

Reverting to the handles which are -=correctly pocketed and which successively and 's'i-icc es's-fully" drop out through the discharge slot 40, these,-

following the present invention, will roll down,"-ifi the direction of the arrow B, in a delivery chute "55, which, asshown in Fig. 6, is desirably in the al'ong a center line of the chute. "By reason-of the mechanism and {operation previously dev scribed, it will be understood that the handles M, which were deposited in the hopper II in a somewhat conglomerate mass extending in differ'e'nt directions and in different planes, now' chine down the delivery chute 55 aligned with their ends aligned, with their axes parallel and, in -thi's instance, in a common plane, that is the plane-of the chute 1 55. At'its loweriendthe chutev 55 may be turned in a vertically'downward 'ex tension as at 59 to insure avertical :stack of handles, the lowermost one of which, by the .:ac=.

tion of gravity and the weight of the handles thereabove,is brought to a location such as a station 60 wherea predetermined operation may be performed on the handle by apparatus or mechanism not here shown and which does not necessarily form a part of the present invention,

but which as alreadyreferred to may include means for passing a wire section through the bore 6| of the handle and later by mechanism also not shown, cutting ofi the wire section, if necessary and forming it to bail form as at 62 (Pig. n)

Suitable driving power is provided for the rotor 2| represented in this instance by a motor reducer (device 63 which may be carried on "a platform 64 .p'ivoted as at 65 on the pedestal I8.

The platform 64 is 'adjustably supported atits" other endby apair of links 66 articulated at one end .as at?! with the pedestal l8 and at their other end with the platform 64 as by a slot'6'8 and adjustment nut 59. Thus Variations in'the platform '64 ma be effected whereby a drive belt lllfmay be tightened or loosened as required. The drive b61510 is'her'e shown entrained with a' uue'y TI on the'output shaft 12 of the 'motor'redueer and "with a larger pulley 13 on a stub 'shaft T4 rotatable in a bracket 18a on the'pedstallt. The stub -shaft 14 may carry a pinion 15 which mesheswitha gear T5 pinned on the rotor axle 25. "By reason-of such drive and gearing the rotori-s cau'sed to turn'relat-ively slowly. Since it may"we1l happen that the apparatus inst described will fe'ewhandle's to the working station 60 faster than the work can be performed on the handle at this station, automatic means are here provided, further tollowing the present v invention, for starting and stopping the apparatus. conformable to handle feed requirements.

For this purpose an electric eye mechanism may as each pocket comes into register with thedis I charge 1st extending horizontally.

The invention is not 'ntended to stood that it is not essential that all features of be provided, and as here shown preferably a plurality of such devices. One such device may comprise a pair of elements 1'. and 18 one of which may constitute a light source and the other a light responsive receiver for a ray of light 19 emitted from the light source. The elements 11 and 18 are arranged one above and one below the chute 55, adjacent the lower end of the chute so that the ray l9 normally passes through the longitudinal opening 58 in the chute. If there are no handles in the chute at this point to obstruct the passage of the ray '19 from the light source to the light receiver, this electric eye mechanism will be activated to actuate a relay in circuit with the motor reducer 63 to cause the motor to start, the rotor to rotate, and the apparatus to feed handles through the discharge slot 40 and into the delivery chute 55. The operation will continue until the vertical extension 59 and the chute '55 itself are filled with handles. When the chute 55 is filled with handles to a point adjacent the discharge slot 40 the handles will interrupt another light ray 80 of another electric eye mechanism comprising the elements 8| and 82 one of which constitutes a light emitter and the other a light responsive receiver. The ray 80 normally passes through the slot 58 from the emitter to receiver unless and until interrupted by handles in the chute. When the chute is filled to interrupt both the ray [9 and the ray 80, relay mechanism is actuated also; in

circuit with the motor 83, to break the motor cir-.

cuit and stop'the rotation of the rotor and delivery of handles to the chute. v

So as to prevent short runs of the apparatus the motor will remain stopped until the handles are used up from the chute to again permit both the ray 19 and the ray 80 to pass through the openin 58 to activate the devices |118 and 8l-82 and again actuate relays which will start the motor. Conversely, the motor will not stop until both the rays 19 and 80 are interrupted.

Since the relay mechanisms desirably have a slightly delayed action, momentaryinterruption r of the rays by a handle rolling down the chute will not affect the motor.

Operation of the apparatus will be apparent from the foregoing description, it being sufiicient to summarize at this point that handles may be dumped into the hopper at any time in an unarranged mass. The motor is put potentially in circuit by a master switch (not shown) and the apparatus then operates intermittentlylbut avoiding too frequent starts and stops as explained) to keep handles fed to the delivery chute, the rotor revolving when required for this purpose. The handles are fed to the rotor from the hopper by gravity, being lifted by the pickup blades to be dropped into the common pocket space where they are disposed in a single plane, albeit with their axes in different directions in that common plane, dropping as the rotor ro-' tates, into the individual pockets where the handles are still in the common single plane, but now arranged with their axes uniformly disposed, and in this instance radial of the rotor, the handles being again lifted by rotation of the rotor and dropped out of the individual pockets laterally the invention be at all'times used conjointly since various combinations or sub-combinations may at times be advantageously employed, and such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the following claims without departing from the invention.

The invention having been described, what is,

here claimed is:

1 Feed apparatus for elongated cylindricalarticles'comprising, combination, a hopper for receiving an unarranged quantity of saidarticl'es,'-

rotary mechanism embodying a plurality'of pick-Y up blades on one side of said rotary mechanism for-receiving the articles by gravity from said hopper, pocket meanson the opposite side 'of said being arranged about the periphery of said rotary mechanism and disposing the articles with their axes radially of said mechanism in said common plane, a central opening inthe rotary mechanism for the passage of articles from the said blades by gravity into said common pocket, and

means for delivering the articles. successively laterally fromysaid individual, pockets at a predetermined point in the rotation of the mechanism, 7

aligned with the axes of the articles paralleh 2. Feed apparatus for elongated cylindrical articles embodying a hopper, a rotor open to said hopper on one side, a plurality of pick-up blades in-said rotor, a rotor disc, a central openingin said disc extending between each pair of blades,

a stationary platen on the opposite side of said rotor spaced from said disc by approximately the diameter of one of said articles, an annulus carried by said disc between it and said platen adjacent the periphery of the disc and having faceto-face rotative juxtaposition with said platen, individual radially disposed pockets in said annulus for receiving articles from the common space between said disc and platen, a slot in the stationary platen substantially in register with a horizontal radius of the rotor for receiving the articles by gravity therethrough as the individual pockets come into register with said slot, and a delivery chute receiving the articles from said slot.

3. Feed apparatus for elongated cylindrical articles embodying a hopper, a rotor open to said hopper on one side, a plurality of pick-up blades in said rotor, a rotor disc, a central opening in said disc extending between each pair of blades, said blades being transversely inclined toward an adjacent opening in the direction 01 rotation, a stationary platen on the opposite side of said rotor spaced from said disc by approximately the diameter of said article, an annulus carried by said disc between it and said platen adjacent the periphery of the disc and having face-to-face rotative juxtaposition with said platen, individual radially disposed pockets in said annulus for receiving articles from the com a ame said hopper on one side. a plnrality'ofpick-up blades insaidrotor, a rotor dish, a centralopenmgin said disc extending: between. each pair of: blades, said blades. being transversely inclined toward. an. adjacent opening in the direction of rotation, a. stationary platen on, the opposite side of: said rotor spaced from'sa-id: disc by'approxil -mately thediameter of. saiidifiarticle, an annulus carried by said disc between it and said platen adjacent the periphery of the disc and having face-to-face rotative juxtaposition with said platen, individual radially disposed pockets in Said annulus for receiving articles from the common space between said disc and platen, and a slot in the stationary platen substantially in register with a horizontal radius of the rotor, said individual pockets having flaring mouths and peaks between a pair thereof to facilitate entry of an article thereinto.

5. Feed apparatus for elongated cylindrical articles embodying a hopper, a rotor open to said hopper on one side, a plurality of pick-up blades insaid rotor, a rotor disc, a central opening in said disc extending between each pair of blades, said blades being transversely inclined toward an adjacent opening in the direction of rotation, a stationary platen on the opposite side of said rotor spaced from said disc by approxiinately the diameter of said article, an annulus carried by said disc between it and said platen adjacent the periphery of the disc and having face-to-face rotative juxtaposition with said platen, individual radially disposed pockets in said annulus for receiving articles from the common space between said disc and platen, and a slot in the stationary platen substantially in register with a horizontal radius of the rotor, said individual pockets having flaring mouths to facilitate entry of an article thereinto and being sloped laterally toward said slot.

6. Feed apparatus for elongated cylindrical articles embodying a hopper, a rotor open to said hopper on one side, a plurality of pick-up blades in said rotor, a rotor disc, a central opening in said disc extending between each pair of blades, said blades being transversely inclined toward an adjacent opening in the direction of rotation, a stationary platen on the opposite side of said rotor spaced from said disc by approximately the diameter of said article; an annulus carried by said disc between it and said platen adjacent the periphery of the disc and having face-to-face rotative juxtaposition with said platen, individual radially disposed pockets in said annulus for receiving articles from the common space between said disc and platen, a slot in the stationary platen substantially in register with a horizontal radius of the rotor, and a resilient grip bar having a cam surface for engaging a said article incompletely entered in a said pocket to guard against jamming in said slot.

7. Feed apparatus for elongated cylindrical articles embodying a hopper, a rotor having a cylindrical barrel open to said hopper on one side, spokes on the barrel joining it with a central hub for the rotor, a plurality of pick-up blades one on the leading edge of each spoke, a rotor disc,

a centralopening-in said disc extending between eachpai-r of spokes, said bladesbeing transverse- -ly inclined toward an adjacent opening in the direction of rotation, av stationary platen on the opposite side of said rotor spaced from said disc by approximately the diameter of said article, an

annulus carried by said disc between it and said platen adjacent the periphery of the disc and having face-to-face. rotative juxtapositionfwith said platen, individual radially disposed Pockets in said, annulus for receiving, articles from the common space between, said disc and platen, and

a slot in the stationary platen substantially in register with a horizontal radius of the rotor, each blade havingan angular extension on the trailing edge of an adjacent spoke.

8. Feed apparatus for elongated cylindrical articles, comprising, in combination, a hopper for receiving an unarranged quantity of said articles, said hopper havin an end wall, rotary mechanism in said hopper for picking up the articles from said hopper, said mechanism including a rotating disc having a central opening, a radial pick-up arm on the face of said disc, said disc being between said arm and said end wall, a receptacle formed by said disc and said end wall for receiving the articles from said pick-up arm through said central opening and arranging them with their longitudinal axes extending in a common plane, said receptacle being restricted in axial dimension to receive said articles in only one common radial plane, and radially disposed pockets rotatable with said disc for receiving the articles from said receptacle and arranging the articles with their longitudinal axes extending radially in said common plane.

9. Feed apparatus for elongated cylindrical articles, comprising, in combination, a hopper for receiving an unarranged quantity of said articles, said hopper having an end wall, rotary mechanism in said hopper for picking up the articles from said hopper, said mechanism including a rotating disc having a central opening, a radial pick-up arm on the face of said disc, said disc being between said arm and said end wall, a receptacle formed by said disc and said end wall for receiving the articles from said pick-up arm through said central openin and arranging them with their longitudinal axes extending in a common plane, said receptacle being restricted in axial dimension to receive said articles in only one common radial plane, radially disposed pockets rotatable with said disc for receiving the articles from said receptacle and arranging the articles with their longitudinal axes extending radially in said common plane, and a chute having its upper end adjacent the path of said pockets and the upper margin of said end wall for receivin articles by gravity from said pockets.

10. Feed apparatus for elongated cylindrical articles comprising, in combination, a hopper for receiving an unarranged quantity of said articles, said hopper having a stationary end wall, rotary mechanism in said hopper for picking up the articles from said hopper, said mechanism including a rotating disc having a central opening, radial pick-up arms on the face of said disc, said disc being both between said arms and said end wall, a receptacle formed by and between said disc and said end wall for receiving the articles by gravity from said pick-up arms through said central opening and arranging them with their longitudinal axes extending in a common plane, said receptacle being restricted in axial dimen- .sion to receive said articles in only one common 1 l radial plane, peripherally disposed radially extending semi-cylindrical pockets rotatable with said disc for receiving the articles by gravity from said receptacle and arranging the articles with their longitudinal axes extending radially in said common plane. said pockets being normally closed by said end wall, a slot in said end wall substantially in register with a horizontal radius of'the disc for receiving the articles therethrough by gravity from said pockets, and a chute receiving the articles from said slot, said chute being of a width to receive the articles side by side in a, row.

MARION D. HOPKINS. AAGE JOHNSON.

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